Why £20m duo would be money well spent by Kenny

Rumour is working its way through the press, media and thus, the internet at the moment that Liverpool have somewhere in the region of £75 million to spend on players this summer. That is an immense sum, particularly given the famine of previous summers when Rafa Benitez was working purely from profits of sales and anything the board could scrape together for him. It is not yet clear whether this number includes any potential sales but, for the sake of argument, let’s just say it doesn’t. With outgoings over the next couple of months, we’re likely to see that amount swell by another £10-£20 million. Now, there’s no guarantee that the full percentage of sales will given to the management to spend on players but we can expect at least some of it to be handed over to top up the coffers. With the £50-odd million spent on Carroll and Suarez in January, that’s a pretty hefty sum already put forward by the new owners and it’s a very clear sign of intent for the coming season.

I wrote a few days ago about how I believed that spending so much money on four unproven English youngsters was a massive gamble and one that I didn’t entirely agree with but, as this isn’t my money being spent, I’m more than prepared to see where it gets us. Much better that we actually have the money to spend on potential than having none to spend at all.

So with the purchase of Henderson likely to have gone through by the time this article is being read, it’s fair to say that at least £16 million of that sum has already gone. Percentage from sales aside, that would leave the manager with around £59 million to work with and apparently – according to reports this morning – he already has another £50 millions worth of players lined up.

A couple of players that I genuinely hope to see incoming over the next few days and weeks are Scott Dann and Bojan Krkic . Now, as I said a few days ago I am all for investing in potential but not when it’s swallowing up vast sums of our transfer funds. And while Henderson is a little too expensive for my tastes I think it would be possible for the Reds to get Scott Dann for a fairly reasonable sum. Given Birmingham’s relegation this season, they will be unlikely to try to hold Liverpool to ransom in the way cash-rich Sunderland have been able to and I’d much prefer to sign the more experienced (and let’s not forget, local) Dann than spend about twice as much on the equally promising Phil Jones . Watching Birmingham over the past two seasons, it is clear to see that he and Roger Johnson have formed a pretty formidable partnership at the back. In fact, a large part of Birmingham’s poor showing this season is probably attributed to Dann’s injury in January which saw him ruled out for the season’s remainder.

As for Barcelona’s Bojan, we have been being linked with him since the January transfer window and with his agent touting him around Europe, it may be wise to move fast. In Bojan, it would be clear to any fan of European football what we’d be getting: a very talented, almost Messi-esque youngster. Already declared – and recently capped – for Spain the 20 year old is a fine prospect who, like Messi before him, has been playing in Barca’s first team since the age of 16 and has managed over 150 games and 30-odd goals, mostly from the bench it has to be said. Given his style of play though, he would offer the Reds something we didn’t have until we signed Suarez – a certain unpredictability in front of goal and a different option from the bench. And if he can bring us something similar to what we’ve had so far from Suarez then I’m all for that. Like Dann, it is unlikely that we would have to pay over the odds for the youngster, as he has fallen out of favour at Barca over the last 12 months and with Barcelona chasing after a couple more strikers this summer it’s likely that he’ll be actively seeking an exit.

Both these players would be coming in to fill in areas where we really need the cover too and they would add much needed quality cover and beef up the squad a little bit and I couldn’t see the pair costing us more than £20 million between them which would leave plenty over to strengthen elsewhere and, like Henderson, would have all of their best years ahead of them.

I’m sure Comolli and Kenny have other ideas in mind or at least other options they’d like to consider but while we’re in the market and seem to have plenty of money to throw around it would be a good day for me to see these two young, established players brought to the club.